Paypal Question

[Stiletto]

Can you guys please tell me know how long I have to file a claim with Paypal for an item never received?  I've read 45 days in one place and 60 days in another so I just wanted to be sure so my time doesn't run out.  Any other information you shed light on about the process would be appreciated!  How long did they take to refund you, etc?

[Galactica]

Depends on if it is international or not-  they change the rules all the time so the best thing to do is to just read them on paypal.com itself.

[Stiletto]

Depends on if it is international or not-  they change the rules all the time so the best thing to do is to just read them on paypal.com itself.

It is an international transaction.  I'm going through the Paypal website now but can't seem to find anything that specifically targets international transactions.  The only thing I can find on their website states I have 45 days to open a claim but at the same it that doesn't really seem long enough for a package coming from over seas (assuming it might really just be held up by customs).  I'm on day 41 though so I don't want to miss my window to file.

[LadyBird]

I would open a claim personally. I've actually been in a similar situation but I was the seller. Shipping was taking FOREVER and the post office told me where I shipped it I couldn't get tracking on it so the buyer was a little uneasy.

They opened a claim since it was getting close to the deadline (which I was 100% fine with because I knew the package was on its way, and I would have felt the same way in her shoes). She ended up getting the package in the mail a few days after and she just cancelled the claim. It's much easier to file now and close it when you get the package than waiting until after the deadline.

[Galactica]

45 days sounds about right - I thought I had read that they had extended it, but maybe not.   Whatever is currently on the site is correct.

That's the problem with international first class-  lots of countries take at least 2 months for mail to be received (ie from Peru, Brazil, sometimes China).  Starting a claim makes the seller super jumpy and defensive, and it can lock up their selling privileges.  But on the other hand, you will lose your chance to make a claim if you don't make one.

It's always a hard decision - but honestly I probably wouldn't open a claim unless I thought there was a risk the seller didn't actually send it.  Do you deal regularly with the seller?  Did she send you tracking info?  How has communication been?  Was it an ebay transaction or outside ebay ? (If within ebay you have more protection since you can still post negative feedback if it turns out you got ripped off)

[Miss_Pompon]

I would open a claim personally. I've actually been in a similar situation but I was the seller. Shipping was taking FOREVER and the post office told me where I shipped it I couldn't get tracking on it so the buyer was a little uneasy.

They opened a claim since it was getting close to the deadline (which I was 100% fine with because I knew the package was on its way, and I would have felt the same way in her shoes). She ended up getting the package in the mail a few days after and she just cancelled the claim. It's much easier to file now and close it when you get the package than waiting until after the deadline.

I agree, I would do the same and as a seller, I will totally understand but maybe you could wait until day 43.
Did you get any information by the seller: tracking number, day of shipment, ... ?

[Stiletto]

Well, honestly I don't want to say too much until I get more information because she is a member on this forum although the transaction was done through another forum.

I don't want to jump to any conclusions since it is coming from another country, but I can't afford to lose out on $70 either.  So I sent her a PM just letting her know I plan on filing a claim on Wednesday (that puts me at day 43) unless she would just like to refund the money (or if the package arrives of course).  I did make it clear if she wants to go ahead and refund then I will gladly pay her again if the package arrives.

I haven't been in contact with her since I paid her.  But a few days ago when I sent her a PM asking her to check the tracking information she gave me to make sure it was the correct number because it hasn't been updated since the beginning of October.  Its also not in English which makes it a little more difficult to really understand.  She has not responded back and that is when I got to thinking about the deadline I have to file a Paypal claim.

My gut feeling is that the package is just held up BUT the seller has received negative feedback on this forum in the past. I researched this before making this purchase and decided to take the chance (people make mistakes and circumstances happen), but I just can't let it go more then the 45 days Paypal is giving me to file a claim.  That time frame just seems too soon for an international package so I wanted to double check I had my information correct.  It's been years since I ordered anything from outside the US so I wasn't sure how long to expect it to take but she originally told me about 15 days.

[tulagirl]

I would file your claim now.  It sounds like you have made efforts to contact the seller and it has not gotten you anywhere. That is a sum of cash that isn't small.  Sorry you have to do that and I am sorry there has not been any communication on the sellers end to help you with  your missing package.  Most international shipments I have received through sales on these forums take at most 3 weeks. I have never had one take 45 days.  That seems a bit much, but I do know that Australia can be an issue at times.  Still all the same filing a claim before the window is gone is very important.

Post Merge: November 11, 2013, 04:03:07 AM

If anything you can repay should  your package show up eventually.

[Galactica]

It actually does sound like you should file your claim now-  you can always close it when the package appears, and if the claim wasn't for an ebay transaction, she won't have her seller privileges put on hold anyway.  So no negative ramifications.

[Stiletto]

So I went ahead and opened a dispute case ... Now it looks like I just wait and see if the seller responds?  It gives me a date when the dispute will automatically escalate to a Paypal claim if the seller does not respond?  Did I do that correctly?

[ponylady]

Thanks everyone for your help 

Stiletto could you please PM me the name of your seller, so I can further look into it. Thank you!

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Glad you are getting lots of helpful advice here!    So sorry to have this happen to you!

[HoustonCollector72]

I usually get the European mail within 2 or 3 weeks, but one package from Germany did take forever, maybe 6 weeks, very close to the 45 days
I have now a problem with one package I sent to UK , buyer did open a claim after  30 days, i'm hopping he package gets delivered soon
also some packages to Argentina and Brazil are taking longer than a month.
is totally understandable they buyers inquire or open claims on the packages,but sometimes their customs are very slow
totally out of sellers control 

I once open a claim for a package from Poland, the seller never updated tracking or anything ,just marked it as shipped , when i contacted them after 3 weeks, they never responded so i claimed it as never received , they still never responded and paypal/ebay refunded me the money ,I left bad feedback and weeks later the seller offers to sell me the item again and this time provide the tracking info, so I changed my feedback and bought again the same item, within 10 days the item was here

[Ringlets]

So I went ahead and opened a dispute case ... Now it looks like I just wait and see if the seller responds?  It gives me a date when the dispute will automatically escalate to a Paypal claim if the seller does not respond?  Did I do that correctly?

Yes you did it correctly   I know 45 days doesnt seem like long enough for an international item - especially  from some countries where customs is known to be slow,, and its even more difficult when another Arena member is involved ... but you cant risk losing that much money, especially if communication has stopped and there is already bad feedback about this seller.  If the person has to refund you but the parcel arrives later you can always resend the money .

[tulagirl]

I usually get the European mail within 2 or 3 weeks, but one package from Germany did take forever, maybe 6 weeks, very close to the 45 days
I have now a problem with one package I sent to UK , buyer did open a claim after  30 days, i'm hopping he package gets delivered soon
also some packages to Argentina and Brazil are taking longer than a month.
is totally understandable they buyers inquire or open claims on the packages,but sometimes their customs are very slow
totally out of sellers control 

I once open a claim for a package from Poland, the seller never updated tracking or anything ,just marked it as shipped , when i contacted them after 3 weeks, they never responded so i claimed it as never received , they still never responded and paypal/ebay refunded me the money ,I left bad feedback and weeks later the seller offers to sell me the item again and this time provide the tracking info, so I changed my feedback and bought again the same item, within 10 days the item was here

Boy that is wonderful that you were able to trust them and work that out.  That says a lot about you as a buyer.  Amazing. I am not sure I would have trusted them again.  Thanks for sharing that.